CVE-2025-43297: Apple macOS Tahoe 26 DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-43297 Overview

CVE-2025-43297 is a type confusion vulnerability in Apple macOS that a local application can exploit to cause a denial-of-service condition. Apple addressed the issue with improved memory handling in macOS Tahoe 26. The flaw is tracked under CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type, commonly referred to as type confusion.

Exploitation requires local access and no user interaction. The vulnerability does not expose confidentiality or integrity impacts, but successful triggering can crash the affected process or system component, disrupting availability on the host.

Critical Impact
A malicious application running locally on an unpatched macOS host can trigger a type confusion condition that results in denial-of-service, disrupting availability of affected system services.

Affected Products

Apple macOS versions prior to macOS Tahoe 26
Systems tracked under CPE cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Apple endpoints that have not applied the fix documented in Apple advisory HT125110

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-15 - CVE-2025-43297 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-43297

Vulnerability Analysis

The issue is a type confusion flaw in a macOS component that Apple resolved by improving memory handling. Type confusion occurs when code operates on a memory object using an incompatible type assumption, leading to incorrect field interpretation or invalid pointer use.

In this case, the mishandled type check allows a local application to trigger a fault path in the affected component. The result is a denial-of-service condition impacting availability of the affected process. The advisory does not attribute confidentiality or integrity impact to the flaw.

Apple's fix, delivered in macOS Tahoe 26, tightens object handling to prevent the incompatible type access. Details on the affected subsystem are limited in the public advisory. See the Apple Support Document and the Full Disclosure Mailing List Post for additional context.

Root Cause

The root cause is a type confusion condition [CWE-843] in a macOS component. The code accesses a resource under an incompatible type assumption, resulting in memory being interpreted incorrectly. This produces an unstable state that terminates the affected process.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local. An attacker must run code on the target macOS system, typically through a malicious or compromised application. No privileges and no user interaction are required to trigger the fault once the application executes. The consequence is limited to loss of availability on the affected host.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published for CVE-2025-43297. Refer to the linked Apple advisory for the authoritative technical description.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43297

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated crash reports for a specific macOS system service on an unpatched host, particularly correlated with a recently installed or executed third-party application
Kernel panics or process termination events surfacing in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ without a clear operational cause
Unexpected restarts of user-facing macOS components after execution of untrusted binaries

Detection Strategies

Inventory macOS endpoints and identify hosts running versions prior to macOS Tahoe 26 as candidates for exposure
Correlate application execution telemetry with process crash and reboot events to identify programs that trigger repeatable faults
Review installed applications for unsigned or newly deployed binaries that coincide with instability

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward macOS crash reports and unified log data to a central analytics platform for anomaly review
Alert on abnormal frequencies of system service termination on macOS endpoints
Track patch state across the macOS fleet and flag hosts that remain on vulnerable builds after the Tahoe 26 release

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43297

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade affected systems to macOS Tahoe 26, which contains the vendor fix for CVE-2025-43297
Restrict installation of untrusted applications on macOS endpoints while patch rollout is in progress
Enforce Gatekeeper and notarization requirements to reduce the likelihood of malicious local code executing

Patch Information

Apple resolved this vulnerability in macOS Tahoe 26 with improved memory handling. Administrators should apply the update using standard macOS update mechanisms or an enterprise mobile device management (MDM) workflow. Full details are available in the Apple Support Document.

Workarounds

No vendor-supplied workaround has been published; upgrading to macOS Tahoe 26 is the supported remediation
Limit local execution of untrusted software through application allowlisting and MDM policies until the patch is deployed
Maintain least-privilege user accounts to reduce the scope of impact from a locally executed denial-of-service condition

bash

# Verify current macOS version and check for available updates
sw_vers -productVersion
softwareupdate --list

# Install all available Apple software updates and restart if required
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart